About Me
Hello World! My name is Grace and I am a game and narrative designer.I'm passionate about crafting immersive worlds and telling compelling stories that linger in players' hearts and minds long after they've put down the controller.I have worked on a number of smaller game projects and am currently working with DAQA as a QA Project Lead, where I am responsible for overseeing QA projects for indie - AAA game studios.I am certified in Game Design and Game Localization and have recently completed my MBA in Data Analytics. I am well versed in Unity and Unreal technical implementation. I am currently expanding my knowledge on combat design and C++ programming.If you are looking for someone to join your team, or work on projects, please feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn!
PROFESSIONAL PROJECTS
Creative Director | Game Designer
Tend a bustling shop by day and descend into procedurally generated hellscapes by night.
Weaving narrative choice with rune-based magic and roguelike combat, players explore two worlds defined by contrast and consequence.
PERSONAL PROJECTS
Game and Narrative Designer | UI/UX Designer
Serve warm drinks and even warmer conversations in Cozy Cafe, a branching narrative game set in a charming autumn coffee shop.
Balance customer satisfaction and personal stories as you craft the right orders (or the wrong ones).
Narrative Designer | Game Designer
Built on D&D-style mechanics, this 41-page custom tabletop RPG inspired by Scottish and Irish mythology guides players through five rich chapters of exploration, narrative choice, and challenging combat. Drawing from real-world folklore, the game weaves authentic myths into an original, atmospheric fantasy experience, where each encounter is shaped as much by story as by strategy.
Game and Narrative Designer | UI/UX Designer
Home to some of the rarest plants from around the world, Gardenia’s Greenhouse is a place of learning and reflection. Upon entering, you will be given a booklet to help guide you through all of the wonderful worldly plants found within! Find all of the rarest to complete your journal and unlock a special prize.
Narrative Designer and Producer
Doctor Eisenbarth: Traveling Doctor is a whimsical adventure game where players step into the shoes of a traveling physician treating the bizarre medical ailments of fairytale creature.
Set in a magical world filled with iconic characters, the experience is lighthearted, clever, and driven by charming narrative encounters and potion crafting.
STUDENT PROJECTS
Game Designer | Technical Level Designer
Escape from Baba Yaga is a fast-paced vertical platformer rooted in Slavic folklore. Players control Vasilisa as she flees the terrifying witch Baba Yaga.. Along the way, players rescue lost childrenwho act as both allies and lives. But every choice carries weight: leave a child behind, or lose them, and Baba Yaga grows stronger.
Game Design | Narrative Designer | UI/UX Designer
Trapped by the Fae Enchantress Nimueh within an ancient oak tree in the mystical Brocéliande Forest, Merlin’s only hope lies in the recovery of 12 magical gemstones scattered across the mythic lands of Albion and Avalon. Realm-switching, magical combat, and puzzle-solving converge in this narrative-rich journey through a reimagined Celtic fantasy world, where saving Merlin is a choice, not a requirement.
Game Designer | UI/UX Designer
Monopoly Tech'opoly is a modern reimagining of the classic Monopoly board game, set in the high-stakes world of Silicon Valley. Featuring updated mechanics, rebranded properties, and new player dynamics, this version shifts the focus from traditional solo accumulation to strategic multiplayer interactions.
Gardenia's Global Greenhouse
Narrative Designer | UI Designer
Unity | 3 Devs
Welcome to Gardenia’s Global Greenhouse! Home to some of the rarest plants from around the world, Gardenia’s Greenhouse is a place of learning and reflection. You will be given a booklet to help guide you through all of the wonderful worldly plants found within!This game was submitted to the 3-day Cozy Spring Game Jam 2023 and received overwhelmingly positive reviews.
Key Design Features
Exploration-Based Discovery: Players navigate a relaxing greenhouse to uncover and collect rare flowers from around the world.
Narrative Flower Journal: Each flower unlocks a unique journal entry with engaging, educational blurbs written in a cozy, narrative tone.
Interactive Greenhouse Display: Discovered flowers are added to a central showcase, allowing players to reflect on their growing collection.
Immersive UI Design: Soft, journaling-inspired 2D UI enhances the cozy atmosphere and supports seamless interaction with the game world.
Educational Storytelling: Real-world botany facts are woven into approachable, story-like entries to encourage learning through curiosity.
My Responsbilities
Designed and implemented all 2D UI assets and menu screens using Figma and Unity, ensuring a cohesive and intuitive visual style.
Wrote and edited all narrative entries for the flower journal, blending botanical facts with warm, accessible storytelling.
Worked closely with the art and design team to ensure the user experience aligned with the game’s calm and cozy aesthetic.
Contributed to maintaining the game’s tone and educational value through consistent visual and narrative design.
Like what you see? Check out more below!
Cozy Cafe
Game Designer | Narrative Designer
Unity | 3 Devs
Cozy Cafe was listed under the 50 Top Best Free Games on Itch.io for 14 months.Another day of work awaits you at the Cozy Cafe! Trust your instincts as a barista to vibe out customer happiness. Interact with patrons, remember their orders, use the coffee machine and add in a little coffee art to boot!
Key Design Features
Branching Narrative System: Dialogue choices impact character relationships, reveal different story paths, and lead to multiple narrative outcomes.
Order Accuracy Mechanic: Players must interpret each customer's personality and dialogue to create the correct drink, getting it wrong can affect customer happiness.
Short-Form Replayability: Designed for multiple playthroughs, with different outcomes and dialogue variations based on subtle choices.
Custom Dialogue Tool Integration: Utilized a node-based scripting system in Unity to support dynamic conversations and branching logic efficiently.
Low-Scope, High-Impact Design: Focused on delivering emotional depth and high polish within a 2-week game jam timeframe.
My Responsibilities
Pitched the original game concept, helping guide the project’s vision and scope.
Designed core gameplay features, including correct/incorrect order mechanics and branching narrative paths.
Wrote and implemented all in-game dialogue using a custom node-based scripting system in Unity.
Developed order systems and customer logic to reflect story choices and emotional outcomes.
Ensured cohesive pacing and emotional arcs across a short, replayable game structure.
Contributed to a successful game jam project that placed 3rd out of 100+ entries and gained long-term visibility on Itch.io.
Like what you see? Check out more below!
Monopoly Tech'opoly
Game Designer
Figma | Tabletop Simulator | 4 Devs
University of Washington - Certificate in Game DesignMonopoly Tech'opoly is a modern reimagining of the classic Monopoly board game, set in the high-stakes world of Silicon Valley. Featuring updated mechanics, rebranded properties, and new player dynamics, this version shifts the focus from traditional solo accumulation to strategic multiplayer interactions. Designed to reflect the fast-paced, competitive energy of the tech world, Tech’opoly brings fresh life to a timeless format.
Key Design Features
Multiplayer-Centric Mechanics: Encourages player interaction through new trading systems, partnerships, and competitive tech takeovers.
Thematic Silicon Valley Setting: Properties represent real-world tech hubs, startups, and landmarks, adding a satirical and modern flavor to gameplay.
Custom Event & Investment Cards: Replaces Chance and Community Chest with themed cards that simulate venture capital gains, PR crises, and app launches.
Rebalanced Economy System: Adjusted money flow and resource management to suit faster, more strategic matches.
Digital Board Implementation: Fully playable in Tabletop Simulator, with all cards, pieces, and visuals functioning in a polished virtual format.
**Modern Visual Design: Sleek, tech-inspired aesthetics give the game a fresh identity while preserving core Monopoly feel.
My Responsibilities
Redesigned core gameplay mechanics to prioritize multiplayer strategy and interaction to shift away from the original game's more PVP structure.
Created a new board layout with tech industry-inspired locations and a modern visual aesthetic.
Designed and implemented all custom cards, tokens, and board assets into Tabletop Simulator for digital playtesting and demoing.
Developed new rules and interaction systems to encourage negotiation, alliances, and sabotage reflective of Silicon Valley culture.
Like what you see? Check out more below!
Escape from Baba Yaga
Game Designer | Technical Level Designer
Unity | 4 Devs
University of Washington – Certificate in Game Design.Escape from Baba Yaga is a fast-paced vertical platformer rooted in Slavic folklore. Players control Vasilisa the Beautiful as she flees the terrifying witch Baba Yaga through an eerie, shifting wilderness. Along the way, players rescue lost children—who act as both allies and lives. But every choice carries weight: leave a child behind, or lose them, and Baba Yaga grows stronger. The game blends dark fairytale themes with twitch-platforming mechanics and haunting atmosphere.
Key Design Features
Horizontal Platforming Chase Mechanics: Players race upward through haunted forests to escape a persistent, screen-climbing threat.
Children as Extra Lives: Lost children are both moral and mechanical assets, adding score but risking loss if caught by Baba Yaga.
Dynamic Scoring System: Score is determined by how many children you save and how many survive until the end of the run.
Creeping Tension with Real Stakes: Baba Yaga relentlessly pursues from behind; a single mistake can mean the loss of a child.
Atmospheric Lighting & Audio: Custom 2D lighting and chilling audio design create an unsettling but immersive folk horror mood.
Folklore-Inspired World Design: The game uses environmental storytelling to immerse players in a magical and dangerous realm built on Slavic mythology.
My Responsilbities
Implemented all level design assets in Unity, ensuring proper placement, cohesion, and flow across the horizontal platforming environments.
Aligned all collision systems for terrain, characters, and interactive elements to support responsive gameplay.
Implemented and optimized all 2D lighting systems, creating a dynamic and atmospheric visual tone to match the dark folklore aesthetic.
Animated and implemented 2D sprite animations for including player movement, **Baba Yaga, and rescued children.
Worked closely with the design team to ensure all technical elements supported gameplay clarity and narrative tension.
Like what you see? Check out more below!
Bing Bong Valley
Creative Director | Game Designer
Unity | 6 Devs
Bing Bong Valley is a simulation game where players guide Bing Bong as he tends to his family's farm by day, and explores the infernal realm of Tartorius by night. Bing Bong Valley offers a unique twist to the classic farming simulation genre.
Key Design Features
Rune Based Magic System: Players create custom rune patterns to cast spells for both combat and exploration purposes. The number of Runes players can possess are limited and change depending on the playthrough.
Procedurally Generated Dungeons: Explore unique procedurally generated dungeons inspired by the nine layers of Hell and partake in roguelike combat.
Strong Narrative Focus: Daytime centers on a rich narrative arch where actions have visible consequences on the world around the player. The narrative explores family bonds and the urge to venture into the unknown.
Alchemy & Potion Crafting: Craft and experiement with potions to support daytime interactions and nighttime dungeon progression. Potions can be crafted, sold, and used to develop stronger runes.
My Responsibilities
Designed and iterated on core gameplay mechanics, including a rune-based magic ability system.
Defined and balanced the day-night-day progression cycle to support gameplay pacing and thematic tone.
Created and implemented maps and level design elements to support exploration, combat, and narrative flow.
Developed the overarching narrative story arc, including key plot beats, character development, and world-building.
Oversaw production and coordinated workflows for a cross-disciplinary team of 6 developers (designers, artists, programmers).
Design Process
Level Design
My initial task was to design the two primary worlds the player would explore, with a focus on emphasizing contrast and thematic depth between them.I was responsible for designing two contrasting worlds central to the game's exploration theme:Elvia is a bright, vibrant city inspired by European folklore, medieval layouts, and fantasy cities like Novigrad (Witcher 3) and Minas Tirith. I aimed to make it feel alive but quiet: lush, communal, and organic.Tartorus is a dark, brooding underworld based on the 9 layers of Hell. Inspired by Hades and Nevarra (Dragon Age), it contrasts World 1 with dense, enclosed spaces that feel unsettling yet familiar. A ruined version of World 1 serves as a haunting base within Tartorus.I researched historical European city maps to inform layout design, identifying key elements like walls, waterways, and gathering spaces. From this, I created top-down maps and environmental guides that shaped both the spatial logic and narrative tone of each world.
Technical Level Design
My next task was to implement the Village and Dungeon levels for the game’s vertical slice, working closely alongside our environment artist to establish the tone and depth of the experience.I was responsible for designing and whiteboxing both levels, ensuring they reflected the game's core themes of contrast and layered storytelling.Within Unity, I handled technical implementation: building whitebox geometry, placing and configuring 3D lighting for mood and readability, and integrating traversal mechanics and encounter zones. These levels laid the foundation for the game’s vertical slice, helping define its spatial language and moment-to-moment tone.
Core System Design
As the lead on core game design systems, I was responsible for defining the game's day-to-day progression cycle and establishing the mechanical and thematic structure that guided player experience across both worlds.I developed a timekeeping system that shaped how days unfolded, impacting NPC schedules, quest availability, environmental changes, and pacing. This system was tightly aligned with our core design pillars: meaningful exploration, narrative-driven progression, and dynamic worldbuilding.I differentiated between main and side quests, establishing clear structural and tonal differences. Main quests pushed the overarching narrative forward, often tied to world-shifting events or major character moments. Side quests focused on localized storytelling, helping flesh out each area and deepen the player’s understanding of the world and its inhabitants.A key part of my role was designing the daily lives of NPCs: creating routines and interactions that made each world feel lived-in and reactive. I worked closely with the team to ensure these systems supported the tone and themes of each location, and that player actions could influence both minor details and long-term outcomes.These foundational systems ensured that the game world felt coherent, alive, and responsive, allowing players to engage at their own pace while always moving forward in meaningful ways.
Like what you see? Check out more below!
Arthurian Legend RPG
Game Designer
University of Washington – Certificate in Game DesignIn this Arthurian-inspired open-world top-down RPG, players take on the role of an unnamed hero who stumbles upon a cry for help from the imprisoned wizard Merlin. Trapped by the Fae Enchantress Nimueh within an ancient oak tree in the mystical Brocéliande Forest, Merlin’s only hope lies in the recovery of 12 magical gemstones scattered across the mythic lands of Albion and Avalon. Realm-switching, magical combat, and puzzle-solving converge in this narrative-rich journey through a reimagined Celtic fantasy world, where saving Merlin is a choice, not a requirement.
Key Design Features
Realm-Switching Exploration: Players shift between the natural world and the mystical realm of Avalon to uncover secrets, bypass obstacles, and solve puzzles.
12 Gemstone Progression System: Each gem grants new magical abilities, offering both combat upgrades and puzzle-solving tools to expand player agency.
Narrative Choice-Driven Structure: Saving Merlin isn’t the only path, players can explore moral ambiguity, loyalty, and consequence within an evolving myth.
Puzzle-Combat Hybrid Gameplay: Blends environmental puzzles with top-down magical combat to create a gameplay loop that rewards both reflex and reasoning.
Prototype-Driven Pitch Delivery: Presented through wireframes and visual references to communicate gameplay loops, player flow, and moment-to-moment interaction.
My Responsbilities
Compiled visual reference material for environments, characters, UI, and tone, establishing a cohesive aesthetic direction rooted in Arthurian and Celtic myth.
Authored a one-pager pitch document and final presentation, outlining core gameplay mechanics, narrative arcs, progression systems, and artistic vision.
Designed a wireframe prototype of the core gameplay loop and UI elements.
Pitched concept to industry professionals for critique and feedback.
Collaborated with peers to align worldbuilding, player progression, and mechanical systems with the intended theme and emotional tone.
Like what you see? Check out more below!
Doctor Eisenbarth: Traveling Physician
Narrative Designer | Game Designer
Unity | 5 Devs
Doctor Eisenbarth: Traveling Doctor is a whimsical adventure game where players step into the shoes of a traveling physician treating the bizarre medical ailments of fairytale creatures.Set in a magical world filled with iconic characters, the experience is lighthearted, clever, and driven by charming narrative encounters.
Key Design Features
Narrative-Driven Encounters: Help well-known fairytale characters through humorous and unexpected** medical crises**, each with unique storylines.
Potion Crafting System: Collect ingredients from the world and mix them using a custom potion interface to treat magical illnesses.
Medical Journal Integration: An in-game journal keeps track of ailments, symptoms, and treatments, blending lore with gameplay.
Stylized UI Design: 2D UI assets reflect the whimsical fairytale aesthetic while maintaining intuitive functionality.
Humor & Folklore Fusion: A playful script combines sharp wit with classic tales, offering a unique comedic twist on well-loved characters.
My Responsibilities
Wrote and implemented all in-game narrative content, including dialogue and journal text using a custom node-based scripting tool in Unity.
Developed a tone that blends witty humor with recognizable fairytale lore.
Designed and implemented 2D UI assets for key gameplay elements, including the potion-making interface, main menus, and the in-game medical journal.
Designed and implemented map-level content, placing interactive objects, NPCs, and environmental storytelling elements to support gameplay and exploration.
Like what you see? Check out more below!
Echoes from the Fae Realm
Narrative Designer | Game Designer
Figma | 5 Devs
Echoes of the Fae Realm is a 41-page custom tabletop RPG inspired by Scottish and Irish mythology. Built on D&D-style mechanics, this 41-page custom tabletop RPG inspired by Scottish and Irish mythology guides players through five rich chapters of exploration, narrative choice, and challenging combat. Drawing from real-world folklore, the game weaves authentic myths into an original, atmospheric fantasy experience, where each encounter is shaped as much by story as by strategy.
Key Design Features
5-Act Narrative Structure: A chapter-based adventure with escalating tension, new regions to explore, and evolving moral and mythological themes.
Folklore-Driven Worldbuilding: Draws from Celtic mythologies to populate the world with creatures, spirits, and landscapes rooted in traditional stories.
Combat-Integrated Storytelling: Battles are narrative set pieces, designed not just for difficulty, but to reflect character motives and mythic significance.
Custom Character Sheets & Stats: Balanced original NPCs and enemies with detailed stat blocks to suit a variety of encounter types and party levels.
Narrative Encounters with Real Choice: Players face choices that have thematic and mechanical consequences, encouraging roleplay and moral engagement.
My Responsibilities
Conducted extensive research into Scottish and Irish folklore to adapt authentic myths into a cohesive and original game world.
Designed a wide range of original characters, blending mythological inspiration with new narrative roles and distinct personalities.
Balanced combat mechanics and character stats to create encounters that challenge players while reinforcing the game’s tone and themes.
Wrote and structured narrative content across all five chapters, including story arcs, player choices, NPC dialogue, and lore entries.
Ensured a strong narrative-to-mechanics connection, aligning story beats with exploration, puzzles, and turn-based combat sequences.
Contributed to the overall worldbuilding, including setting tone, region design, and mythological consistency throughout the game.
